Understanding
by dragomew
Summary: Just like humans, not all Poke'mon are born perfect. It takes a special person to accept these Poke'mon for who they are, and what they will never be. Alice understands, but one person does not have the power to change a world. But she can try.
1. 1: Malicious Encounter!

Authors Note: I do not own Poke'mon. But I do own a Pikachu hat.

It's been a while since I've written a fanfic of any sort. Simply know that this one is entirely OC based, as of yet. And I suspect it will stay that way.

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The Johto region was beautiful. It was particularly so in the autumn season, when the leaves on the trees would shift to brilliant red and orange hues, the weather not quite cold but going away from the previously warm summer. Ecruteak was one of the most beautiful of the cities in any season, and this held true with autumn as well. There were ceremonies that went on here, parades of reverence revolving around the Tin Tower and the Burnt Tower. Festivities were frequent, and most trainers that passed through made sure to stay for at least one celebration.

When it came to Poke'mon, the townsfolk of Ecruteak were well-off. As they held the two towers in such reverence, so did the people regard Poke'mon with the same awe. Or so the elders did. The younger folk of the village were becoming rowdier, forgetting the towers, becoming, like many trainers, slave-masters. There was little the elders could do but watch and shake their heads, remembering times long past.

Now, that is not to say that all of the young people in the village mistreated Poke'mon. The majority did not. The majority had Poke'mon as pets, untrained in the arts of battle. Those who did foster a dream of becoming trainers usually left the village to journey and learn, and still most of those were good people, and treated their Poke'mon with love. And yet, it was only those who did not that were heard of often, that stirred up trouble. There was a family who had recently moved into Ecruteak, come all the way from the Sinnoh region. City-goers, from Hearthome. The elders muttered amongst themselves how no good could come from such people. In most respects, they were right.

It was one of these autumn days, between festivals, that a teenage girl had ventured to the Burnt Tower, standing placidly in front of it. Beside her was a Kadabra, its face portraying reverence as the girl's did. The wind whistled around them, strands of black hair drifting out of place with it. While the girl could hear the winds almost mournful tune, the Kadabra could not. He suffered from complete deafness. This impeded his ability to defend himself. Even with psychic abilities heightened to compensate, it was not quite enough. With this girl, though, he had been able to win the few fights he participated in. Not through strength, but wit and strategy…

Though unable to hear it, the Kadabra sensed the approaching figure. He raised his head a fraction, still staring forward at the Burnt Tower. The girl nodded to herself, hearing the footsteps and hearing Kadabra through the bond they shared…malicious intent approached them, eager to break the serenity of such a sacred place.

"Hello, Alice. Don't pretend like you didn't hear me approach. You and that useless Poke'mon of yours." Came the snide voice of Ecruteak's displaced Hearthome teenager. The smirk on his voice was cruel, and his blue eyes flinched away from Alice's brown-eyed gaze.

The girl called Alice had turned to face the new arrival, expression still serene. The boy seemed to sneer at the hand me down, patched up multi-colored jacket she wore, the plain jeans. Kadabra had turned to face the newcomer as well, face blank. Alice had kept the insult from reaching him, as he had not heard it. By the boy's expression, it was not hard for him to guess what had been said.

"Hello, Bryan. It's a pleasant day, isn't it?" Alice commented almost absent-mindedly, turning her soft gaze to the sky.

The boy's mouth twitched. "No. It's not." Someone with his mentally was inclined to argue at every possible turn. "I have nice clothes to make the cold weather seem like nothing, unlike you." He sneered. Bryan wore a clearly expensive leather jacket, and the latest style of jeans, a gold chain hanging off his belt loops. Though his clothes were nice, the rest of him was a different story. His blue eyes were constantly narrowed, his face (and stomach) a bit pudgy from being pampered and never working a day in his life. He had no muscle of which to speak, and the clothes fit him badly. Were it not for the way he used his Poke'mon to bully others, Bryan would likely have no friends, with his awful attitude. Very few people in Ecruteak were as fortunate financially as Bryan's family, and just not as materialistic because of it.

Alice shrugged, meeting his gaze again, only for him to flinch away. Having known her Kadabra for so long, Alice could see how he struggled not to defend his master, his friend, against such insults. "Do you come to the Tower for its serenity as I do?" She asked, full well knowing the answer.

Bryan let out a harsh laugh. "Please. Serenity? What a load of bull. No, no. I came for a battle." He strode over to Alice, leering, breathing right in her face. "You game?"

Alice bit her lip, thinking. She had been one of the few who Bryan had not successfully intimidated, and she knew she irritated him. She had known that it would only be so long before he tried this tactic, the tactic that had worked on everyone else. The other kids did not want to be trainers, and those that did had gone off on their journeys.

"Unless, of course, you're afraid your pathetic excuse of a Poke'mon will lose." Bryan added in a whisper tone, smirking. Alice stared back at him, about to reply. Kadabra, adept at lip reading, stepped forward, eyes flashing angrily. Bryan smirked again, stepping back from Alice. "This will be fun, Alice. I will enjoy beating you." He cackled again before moving back further, pulling a Poke'ball off his belt. "Go, Monster!" An Ivysaur was released, looking as smug as it's master.

Alice nodded, and Kadabra stepped forward, still shaking a bit with indignation. This boy had no right to treat his master so badly, and he would prove his worth once more to her by defeating Bryan and "Monster". He would have to rely on the bond he shared with Alice. He could not hear Bryan's commands, nor could he take the time to read his lips and leave himself to defenseless. Alice would help, sending him messages as best she could. He had faith in their ability as a team, as did she. Kadabra could feel it flowing from her.

"Razor leaf!" Bryan yelled. As soon as the words had left Bryan's mouth, Alice had transferred them to Kadabra, allowing him to prepare for the attack. Monster had immediately fired a barrage of sharp-edged leaves at Kadabra, who retaliated with counter, the leaves bouncing back and hitting Monster. He suffered minimal damage, but Alice could see Bryan's jaw tighten. Bryan was used to winning.

"Vine whip!" Bryan commanded. The move struck full on this time. Kadabra skidded backwards, eyes closed in concentration, hands moving slightly in an almost trance-like pattern. Alice seemed unbothered by this lack of an attack, nodding in agreement with whatever it was Kadabra was thinking.

"Pfft, was that supposed to be an attack? Pathetic! Use Sleep Powder!" Monster shot out a spray of particles which covered Kadabra. Kadabra dozed off immediately. Suddenly, Monster's eyes drooped and fell asleep as Kadabra had. "W-what?!"

"Kadabra's ability, Synchronize. The opponent suffers all the same status problems as Kadabra." Alice explained calmly, smiling. "And since you won't likely understand this next move either, it's called Sleep Talk."

Kadabra, though still asleep, moved it's hands rhythmically, and Monster was hit with waves of psychic energy, knocking it backward.

"Wake up, you pathetic excuse for a Poke'mon! Vine whip! Wake up!" Bryan yelled furiously, to no avail. Kadabra used another Sleep Talk, which hit dead on again. The two Poke'mon were starting to awaken. "Ha, finally! Monster, use vine whip!" Monster rushed forward, only to run into Kadabra's hastily established Protect. Out of nowhere came a blast of psychic energy, knocking Monster into a nearby tree.

Seeing Bryan's irate expression, Alice explained. "Future sight. That "pathetic" attack you saw earlier." She couldn't help but grin. This battle was far easier than she had thought. Kadabra was in good shape health-wise, and Monster was not. One more move would finish him, and it seemed Kadabra knew what he was doing.

Bryan scowled. Suddenly he grinned, and a warning light went off in Alice's head. For someone clearly losing, that wasn't a good look…he had some kind of plan…"Go, Spike! Godzilla!" Bryan released a Houndour and a Croconaw, both looking almost hungrily at the weakened Kadabra. "Use Flame Wheel and Bite!"

Godzilla rushed forward, snapping his jaws on Kadabra, who was too weakened to move away in time, Alice to shocked to give him forewarning. Spike shot out a blast of flame as Kadabra was held in place, injuring both Godzilla and Kadabra together. Alice watched in horror. Kadabra sent out another Psychic attack in retaliation, but both Poke'mon dodged, leaping away from him. Out of nowhere came Monster's Razor Leaf, slicing up the poor Kadabra. He had been watching the other two Poke'mon, and was unable to hear Monster moving in to attack. Alice had also been distracted by Bryan's sudden move, and hadn't anticipated Monster making a return.

"Ha! Not so powerful now, are you Alice? That deaf Poke'mon of yours really is no good." Bryan chuckled darkly to himself. "Finish him with Bite and Iron Tail!"

"No!" Alice yelled, leaping in front of Kadabra, who's eyes widened in shock and horror. Spike sank his teeth into Alice's arm, unable to stop itself in time, and Godzilla collided with the girl as well, knocking her on top of Kadabra. The two Poke'mon retreated at once, looking worriedly at their master, unsure if they had acted appropriately. Bryan merely looked smug, almost pleased.

"What the hell are you doing, stupid? Trying to get yourself killed?" He conveniently ignored the blood dripping slowly from the bite marks on her arm, the way she winced when she breathed. His voice held no compassion, but was mocking.

"You…son of a…how dare you…fight him 3 to 1…coward!" Alice gasped out, her voice taking on a growl-like quality.

"I am not a coward!" Bryan snapped back. "Godzilla, use water gun!" Godzilla whined, unsure of what to do. "I said water gun, you useless piece of crap!" The crocodile Poke'mon flew into action, launching a half-hearted spray of water at Alice. Everyone, including Alice herself, was surprised when the water dissolved as it hit Kadabra's Protect.

"You…are a coward…and you will always be…a coward. Even if…you win this…you have still…lost…" Alice sank to the ground, becoming faint from blood loss. Bryan was struck by her words, and gasped inarticulately with rage. Kadabra summoned up the last of his strength, and used teleport.

The battle was over.

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A/N: *bond - I feel that as a psychic Poke'mon, Kadabra can somewhat read the minds of those who open their minds to him. It takes effort on both ends, but is possible with proper understanding.

Woo! First chapter finished. Please read and review. I enjoyed writing this, and I hope it shows. Hope you liked it!


	2. 2: Hospitalized!

A/N: This is the fastest I've ever updated a story. That is thanks to Mr. Persistent who would probably have killed me with persistency if I had not uploaded this anytime soon. Anywho, as I said before, I did not really edit this much, feel free to correct my grammar and whatnot. Enjoy!

I do not own Poke'mon.

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Waking up in a hospital is never a pleasant experience for anyone, and Alice was no exception to this rule. She was hazy from the drugs they had used to weaken the pain, examining her sterile white surroundings disinterestedly. Why a hospital? She glanced at her arm, memory coming back as she saw the clean white bandages wrapped carefully around her right arm. Alice wondered briefly how many bandages she had bled through before she finally stopped…she shivered a bit, never one for violence. As she did she felt a comforting presence in her mind, and noticed something she hadn't seen before – Kadabra, sitting perfectly still in a chair by her bed.

Alice smiled, sending feelings of gratitude back at her Poke'mon companion. Though Kadabra's expression never changed, she knew he had received her thanks. She could also sense that he was hiding feelings from her, and she worried that he blamed himself for her injuries. He likely felt that if he had been stronger, he could have protected her. He would never allow her to convince him otherwise.

Now that she was attuned to her surroundings, it occurred to Alice that her parents were not there. Loving parents that they were, she had expected them to show up, crying and hugging her and making a scene in general. The entire situation seemed empty without them. With a pang of sadness she realized that they were on vacation in Celadon city. Alice didn't begrudge them this fact – they worked hard, and deserved a vacation every now and again. But she was lonely, in this sterile white room, without their warm faces to worry over her. She selfishly hoped, for a moment, that they would return home, but guiltily suppressed that wish. They needed that vacation, and she'd be fine whether they were here or not…

She let out a soft sigh, gasping at the sharp pain it caused. Godzilla's Iron Tail was quite formidable, to a mere human like her. How ever did Poke'mon stand it…such brutal combat, to what purpose? Perhaps this was how the elders felt…

"Chansey Chan?" The sweet voice of the Chansey nurse was imbued with curiosity as she examined at Alice.

"Da kadabra." Kadabra responded in his deep tone, Chansey nodding before swiftly leaving the room. Alice looked curiously at Kadabra, who sent a brief explanation. Chansey would be bringing back a human nurse, now that Alice was awake.

"Quite the battle that was…you did great, Kadabra." Alice murmured, smiling as she watched her friend read her lips. "We would've won if Bryan wasn't such a dirty, cheating- hello, Nurse!" Kadabra seemed to almost snicker at Alice's hasty cover-up. She didn't often use some of the nastier words in her vocabulary in front of adults, as it was disrespectful.

Nurse Joy smiled back warmly. Ecruteak's small size meant that it did not have a hospital. However, the Poke'center doubled as a small hospital when necessary. Both Nurse Joy and her Chansey assistants were trained in human anatomy and health as well as Poke'mon. That coupled with the few serious injuries incurred in Ecruteak's fairly low-key atmosphere negated the need for a full-blown hospital.

"How are you feeling?" Nurse Joy asked, gently lifting up Alice's arm and examining the bandages. She began unraveling them, and Alice looked away.

"Pretty good, I think. If I take too deep a breath it hurts." Alice stared at Kadabra to keep her eyes off the exposed bite marks on her arm, unsure if she wanted to see the extent of her injuries. Had she looked, she would have seen that the two bite marks themselves were not bloody, and far less conspicuous than the greenish-yellow bruise that ran the length of her arm. As it was, she did not. Kadabra stared back at her, still sending reassure thoughts her way. She felt herself relax.

Nurse Joy had replaced the bandages, to Alice's pleasure, moving on to pull up the base of Alice's shirt, examining the gigantic bruise over her left ribs. Alice grimaced, wincing and muttering "there" every time Nurse Joy poked a painful spot. Satisfied, Nurse Joy made a note on her clipboard.

"Well, you don't have any fractured ribs. It's just very sore right now. A miracle, really…" Nurse Joy shook her head in disbelief. "What happened, Alice? Kadabra teleported the two of you right into the main entrance of the 'Center, looking very distressed, and in horrible condition." Alice smiled pleasantly for a moment upon hearing of Kadabra's concern. Sitting there, emotionless as usual, it was hard for most people to see just how much he cared. Her smile faded as she brought the incident to memory.

"Well…it's a long story. The short explanation would be a Houndour Bite, and a Croconaw's Iron Tail attack." Alice replied briefly.

Nurse Joy's face made her realize suddenly just how serious this was. "Who had their Poke'mon attack you like that? Who would…" She paused, face draining of color. "…was it Bryan?" Nurse Joy asked slowly, recalling the only person in Ecruteak who had both a Croconaw and a Houndour. Alice nodded. "I'd call that a criminal offense! How dare he hurt an angel like you! How dare he use those Poke'mon as weapons! That makes me so angry!" Nurse Joy seemed to explode with anger, pacing the room quickly. "Oh! I know what I'll do! I'll call Officer Jenny! That boy…how _dare_ he!" She rushed out of the room without another word.

"H-he didn't mean to…the first time…" Alice was uneasy with the idea of someone going to jail over this. She had leapt into danger, after all. Then again he had tried to injure her afterwards. But that had failed, and would never have happened if she weren't so impulsive and, well, somewhat stupid.

The Nurse returned, still muttering angrily to herself. "It will take Officer Jenny a few hours to get here. She's just leaving Violet City. Oh, that boy!"

"Nurse Joy?" Alice asked meekly, gulping as she realized the implications of a police officer coming _here_, to peaceful Ecruteak.

"Yes, dear?" Nurse Joy asked sweetly, momentarily pausing in her angry rant.

"He…er, Bryan, didn't intentionally attack me. I, uh, leapt in the way." Alice smiled sheepishly. Nurse Joy blinked, digesting the information.

"But…why?"

"Bryan and I were having a Poke'mon battle. When Kadabra had almost defeated Bryan's Poke'mon, he sent out two more, and all three attacked at once! I couldn't let Kadabra get hurt like that when in any other circumstance he would have won! I couldn't!" Alice gasped, realizing she had been rising to almost shouting, and the large bruise over her ribs had kindly reminded her of this fact with a stab of pain. As she took a momentary break to recollect her thoughts, she noticed that Kadabra was not watching their lips as she had anticipated, but had silently stood up and walked to the other end of the room, facing away from them. Alice felt guilty as she realized how upset he was about this. So upset that he didn't want to hear anymore of it. He still felt useless. It broke her heart. "A-anyway, I leapt in front. It was my fault. But…he did order his Croconaw to attack me again, and Kadabra used Protect. So…yeah…" Alice wasn't sure what she was trying to say with this. That Bryan was off the hook? That he should be off the hook but wasn't because he had attacked her after the fact? She didn't know.

Nurse Joy shook her head, sighing. "You're such a good kid, Alice. I don't know of many trainers who would stand up for their Poke'mon like that." Alice smiled, glancing at Kadabra's back, not feeling like the "good kid" Nurse Joy thought she was. "I suppose you'll have to tell Officer Jenny the story, and let her decide. Until then, you should rest." Alice nodded, and Nurse Joy walked out of the room.

Alice laid back against the pillows and drifted off into dream-riddled sleep…

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review! ^^


	3. 3: A Multitude of Visits!

**A/N: Sorry about the delay between the last chapter and this one. School and all. Anyway, I don't own Poke'mon, but please enjpy this fanfiction anyway. Warning: slight gore in the italicized section.**

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_Everything was hidden beneath a film of darkness. Everything was blurred, as if a thick fog had settled. Fog had a different consistency than this darkness. It could almost be felt on one's shoulders, pushing down, as if trying to collapse your body upon itself until you were to suffocate to death. _

_It was unpleasant, to say the least, and Alice found herself shivering. It was more a mental thing than anything else; here, Alice was not Alice. She did not know who she was, or even if she was _anything_. There was little substance here to compare herself to, and what existed was so utterly obscured that it was useless to her. She shivered again. This 'place' was cold, albeit not in the literal sense. She felt almost queasy._

"_Get up!" The harsh command rang out, cutting through the dark film like a knife. Alice could see it tearing before her, the world briefly beginning to come into a vague focus, before it gave up again and relapsed into blurry grays. With the voice also came the revelation that she was lying down, on the hard ground. How had she not noticed that before? She had been doubting her substance previous to this. And yet this was still not Alice as she knew herself to be. This was not her body that lay dying on the ground, not her body that screamed in protest as she rose unsteadily to her feet, almost falling back down because of how off-balance she was. Something was wrong with this body, horribly wrong…she smelled the blood dripping down her side before she felt it, feeling a sense of panic. She fell back down, stunned and weakened by what she could not dare to comprehend._

"_What kind of feeble attempt was that? GET UP." The voice cut through the dark again. Though still loud, it sounded more like an echo, getting far away as the darkness closed in again. She felt a pain in her side as something whipped in and out of her vision. "What kind of an opponent are you? Pathetic!" More pain, more pain. As the whip collided with the open wound where her arm had been, Alice let out a scream-_

…and awoke to the hospital room. She was sweating, panting, face a pale white. Her mouth was slightly agape, and she couldn't tell if she had actually let out that awful scream. Looking had Kadabra, she saw that he looked mildly concerned, meaning she probably hadn't actually screamed. That was confirmed with a quick mental exchange.

Calming down a bit, Alice sank back into the bed from the upright position she had assumed. Her pulse still raced, but she could think a bit clearer now…it had been a dream, of course…a very macabre dream, very dark and unlike her…the thought of it still made her shiver, at which Kadabra would send warm thoughts her way, and she would smile weakly at him. It was only a dream, after all. But for all the filmy darkness and far-off voices, it had been _vivid_. It was contradictory for it to be so, but that was how it had been. The pain was especially vivid, that final snap of the whip on her missing arm. Alice had thought that you couldn't feel pain in dreams, that you would wake up at the slightest hint of it. She had woken up, but that had come _after_ the worst of the pain. It intrigued her, yet at the same time repulsed her very being. That pain…

"That was…frightening…" Alice whispered, meeting eyes with Kadabra. His thoughts around hers were a blanket of security, one that she had used before. She was certain that it was only with the help of Kadabra's psychic abilities that she had managed to calm her pulse and sink into a more tranquil state, putting the dream out of her mind.

Alice was lucky to have calmed down when she did, as Nurse Joy would not have tolerated her patient to be in such a state without explaining why. Alice made certain to smile and brightly respond, "Yes! I slept well" when asked by the Nurse if she was feeling better and well-rested. Nurse Joy was satisfied with this answer.

"So long as you're feeling well-rested, Officer Jenny will be here to hear your account of what happened." Nurse Joy responded, tone becoming a bit more serious, losing its normal spark. Alice nodded numbly in response, dream almost entirely forgotten as she recalled the reason why she was in the hospital to begin with. Police here in Ecruteak, because of her…ack!

"I'll go get Officer Jenny. Chansey's here if you need anything." Nurse Joy replied, smiling reassuringly. Alice nodded again as the Nurse left the room and a Chansey took her place. Chansey promptly engaged Kadabra in small talk, which Kadabra didn't bother to translate for Alice. She was too busy reviewing the events on her head, wondering how best to phrase everything so as to say only the completely objective truth.

The ceasing of Chansey and Kadabra's chatter alerted Alice to the arrival of the police officer. She was relieved to see that Officer Jenny was smiling, relaxed, not as strict looking as Alice would have expected. Alice had never seen a police officer, only knew what they were supposed to do. Enforcing the law was not exactly the most gentle job…

"Alright, Alice. Feeling better?" Officer Jenny asked, sitting down in a chair by the bed. Kadabra watched on. Though he wasn't suspicious of Officer Jenny, he always kept a close watch on strangers. He was very protective of Alice, who found that fact very sweet, although that always embarrassed the psychic type.

"Oh, yes. Just a little bruised here and there…" Alice replied, smiling weakly. Jenny smiled back, though it didn't seem entirely sincere.

"Nurse Joy told me that a 'Bryan' had his Poke'mon attack you. I need you to tell me exactly what happened."

Alice nodded, explaining the story with as much detail as she remembered. Officer Jenny listened carefully, taking notes and asking the occasional question. When Alice was finished she looked expectantly at Officer Jenny, habitually chewing her lip with a bit of worry.

"Well, although Bryan shouldn't have set all his Poke'mon against your Kadabra, but it was your fault for jumping in front. Technically, he hasn't done anything to warrant an arrest or punishment." Officer Jenny stated simply, nodding to herself as she reviewed her notes. "However, that doesn't mean I can't scare him a bit." Alice couldn't help but grin and Officer Jenny's smirk. "He doesn't sound like a particularly nice kid."

"He isn't." Nurse Joy interjected, rolling her eyes. Alice chuckled, even Kadabra looking partially amused. "Thanks for coming down here, Officer-"

"Oh my goodness our little darling!" The loud shout was punctuated with small sobs, as Alice turned to stare at the people who had entered, and were now wrapping their arms around her. Her parents…? But they were supposed to be on-

"W-wait, Mom and Dad…you're supposed to be on vacation!" Alice was very distressed about this fact, as well as the fact that they were crushing her bruises.

Her parents pulled back, smiling fondly at her, wiping away tears. She noticed with a hint from Kadabra that Jenny and Joy had left. "We came back as soon as we heard from Nurse Joy that you were injured." Her father replied.

"You're far more important to us than a silly vacation, honey." Her mother added, sniffling. "We're so glad you're okay!"

"It also means that we get to give you your gift that much earlier." Her dad added happily.

"G-gift?" Alice asked, surprised. "B-but-"

"Now now, dear, we knew you'd object. We felt awful for not taking you with us. And your father, well…he won big at the Celadon Game Corner!" Her mother finished, squealing with joy. Her dad blushed with pleasure. Alice closed her jaw.

"That's amazing, Dad!" Alice grinned. "And then…you spent the money…on a gift for me…" Her smile dropped as realization hit.

"Yup! Every last penny of it." Her mom replied proudly, causing Alice to sink further into the bed. They had spent all of it on her? She felt awful. They could've spent that money on themselves! They weren't nearly as selfish as they should be…

"And here is the fruit of our labor!" Her father continued, holding out a shiny luxury ball. "Just for you!"

Alice gently took the luxury ball, feeling her eyes well up. There was a Poke'mon in here, worth…how much, she didn't know, but it was money her parents had earned just for her…she released the Poke'mon, which formed next to her hospital bed.

"Eevee?" It cooed cutely, looking up at her with large eyes. Alice stared back at it in awe, as it leapt onto her bed and curled up on her lap, nudging one of her hands. She began to pet it, smiling as it made a purring noise.

"Thank you so much…I love you two…" Alice muttered, feeling herself tear up.

Watching on as the family hugged, both Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny were glad that someone as sweet as Alice had not suffered too severe an injury, and that she would be leaving the hospital that very evening.

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**A/N: Fairly boring chapter, apologies for that. Things will start happening next chapter, I promise. And it will probably be longer as well. Please review! ^^**


	4. 4: Training!

**A/N: Sorry for the total lack of updates. Until now. Please enjoy this next chapter. I still don't own Poke'mon -tear-**

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Alice's return to normalcy was a much bigger affair than she would have liked. Amongst her peers, and secretly amongst the adults, she was regarded as some kind of hero. As it was seen by others, she had put that Bryan in his place! That had been her intention when she accepted his request for battle.

Being a hero was quickly becoming an annoyance.

"Hey Alice!" A boy called out, running happily over to greet the black-haired girl. She inwardly groaned, smiling weakly on the outside.

"What's up, Daryl?" Alice asked politely. Kadabra stared intently at Daryl, as a lip-reader was wont to do. He shared Alice's opinion that the boy was a tad annoying, although it didn't show.

"Oh, nothing much. What are you up to?" The blonde asked pleasantly, his green eyes sparkling with the same pleasure his tone expressed. His clothes, though not as extravagant as Bryan's, were nicer than Alice's. Non-descript jeans and a zipped up black jacket, plain and simple. He was not particularly tall, nor of a stocky build. Daryl was somewhere in the middle, the kind of target a bully like Bryan would look for. Daryl and his Vulpix had been Bryan's prime punching bags for a long time.

"I was going to train Eevee." Alice replied, fingering the poke'ball with her new Poke'mon lovingly. "Out on Route 37, towards Violet City."

Daryl gaped at her. "Can I come?!"

Amanda wanted to kick herself. It wasn't necessarily that Daryl was so awful to be around. He had always idolized her. She suspected he had some sort of crush on her. He often told you just what you wanted to hear, no matter how big of a lie he had to tell. Most people were pleased with this, taking advantage of it and treading all over the boy. That kind of behavior grated heavily on Alice's nerves. While she was polite, she certainly wasn't going to lie if she could help it.

"Well, I guess…it might intimidate Eevee a bit, though…" Alice replied reluctantly, unable to devise an excuse quick enough.

Daryl crumpled a bit. "Oh no, I'm sure I won't be intimidating! Just give me a minute to get to know Eevee, and it'll be okay!" He smiled. Alice faked one back.

They departed for Route 37.

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After being regaled with her own stories of Bryan's defeat for the entire ten minute walk to a part of the route containing wild Poke'mon, Alice was no longer in the mood to patiently train the fox-dog Poke'mon. She was no longer in the mood to do anything, for that matter. Something about this kid just bugged her. Besides the fact that he over-exaggerated every little detail of the story, making her seem ten times more the hero than she felt she was.

"And then you dove heroicially in front of Kadabra to protect him, and Bryan's Poke'mon didn't even hesitate to attack you-"

"Here." Alice interrupted sharply, glad to be able to shut the boy up. "And besides," she muttered, "his Poke'mon _didn't_ want to attack me."

"What did you say? Couldn't hear you…" Daryl replied, blinking, a silly smile on his face.

"Nevermind." Alice replied, gripping Eevee's poke'ball. She released the fox-dog Poke'mon, relieved to hear a total lack of Daryl's voice as he watched. After materializing, Eevee padded over to Kadabra, exchanging a quick greeting. The friendly reaction between the two always made Alice smile. She had been concerned that Kadabra might be jealous of the more pet-like position Eevee held in the family. It was easy to see that Kadabra's reassurances that he did not mind were completely true, and Alice was amazed she had ever doubted him.

Eevee next made it's way to her, purring as Amanda stroked the soft fur.

"It's in such good condition!" Daryl muttered, crouching down beside Eevee and Amanda so he too could stroke the Poke'mon. Eevee was momentarily taken aback, but quickly warmed up to the boy, who seemed to know exactly where it wanted to be stroked and how.

That was the only thing about Daryl that Amanda had no choice but to respect. He was _very_ good with Poke'mon. No matter who owned the Poke'mon, they always responded wonderfully to Daryl. As she understood it he wished to be a Poke'mon coordinator and enter contests, or a breeder. Or perhaps both. It didn't matter much to her. But as good as he was with Poke'mon, he was totally useless when it came to training them. His Vulpix was gorgeous, but a horrid fighter. Completely incapable of defending itself.

"Now that you two are acquainted, I'd like to start my training." Alice said, smiling very slightly.

"Oh, of course, go on ahead!" Daryl replied, backing off immediately. "I can't wait to see this! You must be a fantastic trainer after beating Bryan!"

"Uh…whatever. Please stay quiet, I don't want to scare the wild Poke'mon off…" Alice silenced Daryl with a hand motion as he moved as if to apologize for talking. Such a talkative boy…

Alice and Eevee tensed as a Poke'mon popped out of the grass. A pidgey! "Eevee, tail whip!" Amanda commanded. Eevee shook its tail cutely at the pidgey, who looked confusedly back at them. "Tackle!" Eevee leapt forward, colliding head-on with the pidgey. It fluttered backwards, quickly retaliating with a weak gust attack. Eevee fell back a bit, but stood its ground. "Tail whip again!" The pidgey wasn't about to be taken in by that trick again – it lunged in with a peck, hitting Eevee, who hadn't yet developed the ability to dodge quickly. Alice narrowed her eyes in concentration. Clearly that tactic wouldn't work again…there was one more trick up her sleeve.

"Um, Alice? That didn't work." Daryl interrupted. It was all Alice could do not to walk over and strangle him right then and there. He was breaking her concentration!

"Well, this will." She snapped back. Without waiting for a response, she commanded, "Quick attack!" Eevee dashed forward with a sudden burst of speed, hitting the pidgey with enough force that it finally fainted.

"Wow! That was awesome! For a moment I actually thought you'd lose. Psh, silly me. Alice never loses!" Daryl commented, totally unaware of the adverse reaction Alice was having to his comments.

"…whatever." Alice muttered, rolling her eyes. "On to the next battle…"

"Wait wait, don't you want to heal Eevee first? It just went through a battle! Here, I've got just the thing-"

"No, I do _not_. It was ONE battle. With a PIDGEY. Eevee is perfectly fine to fight again." Alice responded through clenched teeth.

"Oh. If you're sure…" Daryl seemed to deflate a bit, quickly replacing the potion into his backpack.

Rolling her eyes one more time, Alice and Eevee started through the tall grass again, scanning for Poke'mon. A Poke'mon shortly popped out of the tall grass in a battle stance, revealing itself to be-

"A vulpix! Just like mine! You should catch it!" Daryl yelled excitedly, oblivious to the vein pulsing in Alice's neck.

"No, thanks." Alice muttered sourly. "Eevee, this vulpix looks to be raring for a fight. Be ready, and don't hold back." Eevee nodded. "Alright then. Start off with a quick attack!" Eevee darted forward again, and the vulpix was unable to dodge the speedy attack. Pleased with its success, Eevee let its guard down momentarily, and Vulpix took this moment to launch its own attack – ember.

"That's ember." Daryl announced.

"Yes, I know." Alice replied, again through clenched teeth. Eevee flew a few feet from the attack, growling at the vulpix. "Stay on your toes! Practice dodging, and look for an opening!" The vulpix shot another burst of ember Eevee's way. This time Eevee was ready, dodging swiftly to the side and darting forward to hit vulpix with a tackle. Vulpix dodged, retaliating with a scratch attack. Eevee whimpered at the attack, getting weakly to its feet.

Kadabra yelled out some sort of encouragement. Alice followed it with her own. "Don't be discouraged! Try again! Be patient!" Eevee nodded. Vulpix shot forth another ember, easily dodged by Eevee as before. Eevee growled at vulpix mockingly as it did so. Vulpix leapt forward to get another scratch attack on the dog-fox Poke'mon. Eevee dodged this attack, much to vulpix's surprise, and tackled the fire-fox in the side. Vulpix squealed, retreating to a safe distance and attacking with ember some more.

"Why aren't you giving Eevee any commands?" Daryl asked, totally bewildered.

"Just quiet down and watch!" Alice responded, smiling despite herself. Eevee was doing very well. After some more dodging around, Eevee got in another few hits, effectively knocking out vulpix. Kadabra politely applauded, much to Eevee's embarrassment.

"That was great, Eevee!" Alice said, scooping up the tired Poke'mon in her arms. She scratched its head, much to Eevee's great pleasure. "Why don't we go get you healed at the Poke'mon center, hm? You deserve a rest. Right, Kadabra?"

Kadabra started to say something, but was interrupted by Daryl.

"That was super awesome! You're such an amazing trainer, seriously! I don't know how you do it!" He moved in as if to get a hug.

Alice's mouth twitched towards a scowl. "I didn't _do_ anything, as you pointed out earlier. It was all Eevee." Kadabra was clearly exerting some sort of Calm Mind attack on the both of them through their bond – she felt far calmer than she had mere moments ago, although all the anger was still intact. This boy knew absolutely nothing! Couldn't he just leave her alone? "Let's go, Kadabra." The Poke'mon nodded, while Eevee looked confusedly between the two humans, not quite understanding that Alice was irritated. It was still young, after all.

Daryl trotted after the girl and her Poke'mon, quickly stopping his hasty apologies as Kadabra shot him a glare. Though a bit discouraged, he was determined to turn her into a friend. Today he'd made a mistake, but tomorrow he'd make sure to do better…

* * *

After a few more days of training, the majority of which she was (thankfully) alone with her Poke'mon, Alice felt that Eevee was ready to attempt to fight the Kimono girls. It was the opinion of the Kimono girls that if a non-evolved Eevee could defeat one of their evolved Poke'mon, or at least come close to it, then that Eevee deserved an elemental stone to reach its dreams. This stemmed from the belief that strength didn't come from evolution, but from the heart, and a strong bond between trainer and Poke'mon, as much of Ecruteak lore suggested.

Alice entered the Ecruteak Dancing Hall, where she knew the Kimono girls spent their time. She was pleased to see that all of them were there, but also nervous. Had they been absent, she might have postponed this battle for more training…she still could, of course. But she thought that Eevee was ready. And Eevee had expressed a great interest, according to translator Kadabra, when Alice mentioned the evolution idea.

"Welcome, Alice." One of the girls, Naoko, said, smiling. She was the owner of a gorgeous Flareon, which sat by her side.

"Have you come to have your Eevee challenge one of us?" Miki, the owner of a Jolteon, added, noticing the excited Poke'mon walking beside Alice.

Alice nodded. "Most definitely. I have faith that Eevee will do a great job."

"It is good to see such trust!" Sayo replied, her Espeon cooing in agreement.

"Which of us do you intend to challenge?" Zuki inquired sweetly, her Umbreon eyeing them from nearby with an equally curious gaze.

"Well, I was going to let Eevee choose." Alice admitted, shrugging. "I figure he knows best, after all."

"What exquisite trust!" Kuni squealed, her Vaporeon nodding enthusiastically in agreement. The other girls let out squeals of delight as well. "Of course that is beyond acceptable, that is fantastic, dear. Go ahead, little Eevee. Choose."

Eevee seemed to give a doggish grin, eyeing the evolutions curiously. Flareon, with its regal flame-like fur, Espeon with its psychic powers and regal stance, and Umbreon, a beautiful creature of the night. Vaporeon, adapted to express the glory of the ocean, and Jolteon, electricity pulsing through its needle-like fur. Each of the evolutions took as dignified a pose as they good, hoping to encourage the young Eevee to join their evolutionary path. Each was equally good, and Eevee seemed unable to decide.

After what seemed an eternal pause, Eevee moved forward, making its choice.

"We look forward to this battle, Alice and Eevee." Miki announced with a smile. Eevee had chosen Jolteon.

* * *

**A/N: As per usual, I did not edit this in the slightest. And there will be some actual plot stuff going on later. Not that this isn't relevant to the overall plot - of course it is. More so than you know. Oh yes, I have a plan. Anyway, please review and let me know what you liked/didn't like. Thanks! : )**


	5. 5: VS Jolteon!

**A/N: It's been a while. Snaps. I do not own Poke'mon. But I do own a Pikachu hat. Enjoy! ^^**

* * *

Jolteon bristled eagerly at the challenge, Miki smiling pleasantly. "Best of luck to you and Eevee, Alice." She bowed. Alice quickly followed suit.

"Thank you. The same." Alice replied, the corners of her mouth lifting into a small smile.

Miki raised a brow at the confidence brimming from the girl and her Eevee, who performed a small half-bow as well.

"Don't hold back." Miki remarked. "Quick attack!"

Eevee yelped, leaping aside. Jolteon's sharp fur raked against him as it passed, causing minimal damage.

"Jolteon is the fastest evolution – keep that in mind!" Alice yelled to Eevee, who recovered and launched into a defensive move. Eevee darted quickly about, creating an illusion of being multiple places at once.

"Double team, eh? Very good." Miki commented, smiling. "Careful of that, Jolteon. A nice thundershock should do that trick."

Jolteon nodded, but was suddenly tackled by the swift moving Eevee. Alice grinned. Eevee leapt back in time to avoid Jolteon's retaliatory spark.

"Without a single verbal command…" The kimono girl muttered to herself, surprised. "Well then, ramp it up, Jolteon. Thunderbolt."

Eevee could not evade the lightning fast attack. "Agility." Jolteon's speed increased drastically, and Alice knew Eevee was in trouble. She grit her teeth as Jolteon zapped Eevee at close distance. Eevee struggled to get to it's feet…

It took Alice a moment to realize what had happened, when she saw both Poke'mon go flying. Jolteon had come in for another close thunderbolt, and Eevee had taken the attack, tackling Jolteon with full force in lieu of avoiding the shock. The attack had still taken quite a toll on Eevee, who panted, half-limping.

Jolteon rose easily to its feet, eyes glinting dangerously. This fight was going to be over quickly.

"Very resourceful, Eevee. You essentially used volt tackle. Unluckily for you…Jolteon absorbs electricity for strength." Miki explained, smiling. Jolteon's fur crackled with electricity, and it was clear to all that Jolteon was gearing up for a final attack. It advanced slowly upon Eevee.

Eevee leapt to it's feet as best as it could, feebly trying to attack Jolteon. Jolteon swatted at it with a paw, effectively disabling the fox-dog. The electricity surrounding Jolteon grew more intense, and-

"W-wait!" Alice yelled, hating herself for what she was about to do. "Clearly, the match…is over." She saw Eevee hang its head, eyes closed shamefully. What a loss…

Jolteon dispelled the electricity, shaking off casually and preening it's fur. Miki nodded. "A good trainer knows when enough is enough." She replied sagely, calmly. Her eyes followed Alice as the girl ran to Eevee, stoking it and whispering words of encouragement.

"Please, take Eevee to the Poke'center, and then return here for our decision." Miki said, the other kimono girls nodding in unison.

Alice nodded numbly, gently cradling Eevee in her arms as she left.

Discussion commenced.

* * *

Alice dropped her proud posture as soon as she was out of the building. She slouched, gripping the now unconscious Eevee closer to her. She had considered recalling Eevee to its poke'ball, but there two things preventing that. Alice felt it a great disrespect to Eevee's valiant efforts. Her other reason was selfish; the only reason she wasn't in tears was for Eevee's sake. If she cried in front of the fox-dog, that would only dishearten the Poke'mon. Without Eevee watching, she would have no restraint for her tears.

It was literally a five minute walk to the Poke'center. The probability of anything happening in this time was very low. _But not low enough_, thought Alice wryly, as Daryl approached. _Go away!_

"Alice! Why is Eevee so beat up?" Daryl questioned, oblivious to Alice's sullen glare.

"I don't suppose that's any of your-"

"Did you lose to one of the kimono girls?" Daryl interrupted, shaking his head. "No offense, but I kinda knew you would…"

"Did you know?" Alice snapped sarcastically. "Good for you."

Daryl continued as if he hadn't heard. "Harsh, Alice. That really sucks. Seriously."

Alice grit her teeth as she and Daryl entered the Poke'center. "Nurse Joy…" Alice mumbled, catching the Nurse's attention immediately. Nurse Joy rushed over, gently taking Eevee.

"What happened, dear?" The nurse asked worriedly.

"She lost." Daryl interjected solemnly.

"Eevee tried his very best, Nurse, to defeat Miki and her Jolteon. It was not enough…" Alice ignored Daryl, hanging her head with a sigh at hearing herself say those words.

"It sucks. Seriously." Daryl added, shaking his head.

Nurse Joy gave him an odd look before returning her kind gaze to Alice. "That is alright, Alice. I have faith that Eevee's performance was no less than admirable." With a smile she headed into the back to heal Eevee. Alice remained silent, letting the sad smile fall off her face.

"Well, I'll see you later. Sorry you won't get to evolve your Eevee." Daryl finished lamely, flashing a smile. Alice had a brief image of herself strangling him – she sensed Kadabra's amusement at the conjured image.

_Kadabra…we lost._

_But you did not fail._ He replayed the memory of the kimono girls, explaining the rules regarding how they decided who was to get an evolutionary stone. He further reminded her of Miki's impressed comments and expressions.

Alice nodded, flicking a solitary tear from her cheek. _Thank you._ The only response was a feeling of warmth and friendship.

Nurse Joy walked back into the front room, Eevee beside her, completely rejuvenated. The fox-dog hung it's head, whining a little.

"Eevee!" Alice scooped up the dejected Poke'mon, stroking the soft fur reassuringly. "I'm so glad you're okay. You did fantastic! That volt tackle idea – brilliant." Eevee looked up at Alice's grin in surprise. "No matter the result, I am so very proud of you."

"Vwee!" Eevee nuzzled happily against Alice's arms, locking her as if to say, 'thank you'.

"Now let's go get that thunderstone!" Alice yelled enthusiastically, Eevee yelping excitedly with her.

Nurse Joy couldn't help but smile as the two ran out the door – not just Poke'mon and trainer, but Poke'mon and _friend_.

* * *

Alice burst into the Ecruteak Dance Hall with proud posture, Eevee padding along beside her. The kimono girls smiled at her reappearance.

"We have come to a consensus, Alice." Miki said, smiling. "Before we tell, let some of my sisters share their commentary on our battle."

Zuki spoke first, Umbreon nodding along with her words. "What most amazed me was Eevee's strategy. You didn't have to give a single command! That is a unique trait among trainers, and all credit goes to your Poke'mon. Eevee was insightful, dodging and planning it's attacks. It was wonderful to watch."

"Thank you…" Alice said, bowing her head. Eevee gave a doggish grin, delighted with all the praise.

Naoko spoke next, Flareon cooing it's compliments to Eevee. "There is little to add to what Zuki as said. We were all very impressed with the impromptu use of volt tackle. If Eevee was as experienced as Jolteon, it is my opinion that you might have won."

Alice bowed her head yet again, muttering further thanks.

"Now, Alice, is your reward." Miki motioned Jolteon to come forward. The electric-type obliged, carrying in its mouth a thunderstone. It placed the stone at Eevee's feet. Eevee barked with delight, tail wagging emphatically. Alice bent down and picked up the stone, a smile spreading over her face.

"Thank you, so very much." Her face glowed with happiness as she pocketed the stone, scooping Eevee into her arms with a giggle.

The kimono girls smiled. "Eevee deserves it." Miki replied.

Alice nodded, exclaimed a good-bye and ran out the door, skipping and yelling, Eevee barking along right with her.


End file.
